Looking for feedback on mine before submission, if someone would be so kind.
CLAN DESTINY
Arc ID: 349053
Level: 30+
Length: Long
Keywords: [open to suggestions here]
Enemies: Rikti, Freakshow, Devoured Earth, Longbow, Custom
Description: Heroes are always supposed to do the right thing, but what happens when "the right thing" is a choice between two evils? When the line between what is the greater good and the necessary evil become blurred, morality is put to the ultimate test. What will you decide?
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Originally Posted by Supafunkadunka
Looking for feedback on mine before submission, if someone would be so kind.
CLAN DESTINY Arc ID: 349053 Level: 30+ Length: Long Keywords: [open to suggestions here] Enemies: Rikti, Freakshow, Devoured Earth, Longbow, Custom Description: Heroes are always supposed to do the right thing, but what happens when "the right thing" is a choice between two evils? When the line between what is the greater good and the necessary evil become blurred, morality is put to the ultimate test. What will you decide? |
In the end, I suppose it works out, but I'm not real sure the pathway given is the right one for our hero. I'm also not real comfortable with the 'resolution' and how that plays out. For our hero's sake, it all ends up a little too convenient, and from the larger perspective of the story I didn't get a sense of fulfillment that anything was actually accomplished. It felt like the first act, or a TV pilot, rather than a composed story arc.
In some sense, for the purposes of this contest, having it play out the opposite may have worked better. I got the sense that we were screwed either way, and the bigger threat to humanity was not the situation the hero immediately sought to remedy. To me, given what is at stake, the choice the hero initially takes seems rather meaningless. (I'm intentionally trying not to give away story elements for the benefit of any other reader, so I hope you get where I'm coming from. Perhaps a little more insight into how the hero hopes to resolve the big picture, after his initial 'decision' would clear that up.)
From a gameplay standpoint, it all works well. The challenge is appropriate, and the maps chosen work well. But that's really kind of the problem here.....I got the sense that to win the contest one would need to stretch the limits a bit, and this doesn't do that. In some respects it felt like the story was chosen to fit the resources, rather than creatively using the system to do something innovative.
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Thanks for the feedback!|
Originally Posted by brophog02
In the end, I suppose it works out, but I'm not real sure the pathway given is the right one for our hero. I'm also not real comfortable with the 'resolution' and how that plays out. For our hero's sake, it all ends up a little too convenient, and from the larger perspective of the story I didn't get a sense of fulfillment that anything was actually accomplished. It felt like the first act, or a TV pilot, rather than a composed story arc.
In some sense, for the purposes of this contest, having it play out the opposite may have worked better. I got the sense that we were screwed either way, and the bigger threat to humanity was not the situation the hero immediately sought to remedy. To me, given what is at stake, the choice the hero initially takes seems rather meaningless. (I'm intentionally trying not to give away story elements for the benefit of any other reader, so I hope you get where I'm coming from. Perhaps a little more insight into how the hero hopes to resolve the big picture, after his initial 'decision' would clear that up.) From a gameplay standpoint, it all works well. The challenge is appropriate, and the maps chosen work well. But that's really kind of the problem here.....I got the sense that to win the contest one would need to stretch the limits a bit, and this doesn't do that. In some respects it felt like the story was chosen to fit the resources, rather than creatively using the system to do something innovative. |
I see what you are saying re: the "TV pilot" feel. With a new custom group I guess there was a sort of introductory element to it that nerfed the stakes a bit. Maybe I can play with the ending a bit to make what the player does a bit more significant. A good point.
I DO get what you are saying about the decision and had wondered how it might be looked at. I was constrained somewhat by text limits but I played another arc today that creatively used clues to give more options there, so I may try to explain his options better that way.
As for mission innovation, I'm still kind of new, so right now I'm thankful that I can get the missions to work at all LOL As I play more arcs, I'm getting some good ideas on how people creatively tinker with these mission tasks. I'll see if there is some tweaking I can do.
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Just finished playing the arc. I've just read your above post and I have to say, for someone who is still new to MA this arc is overall very well made. More detailed comments are below, ignore if you want to avoid spoilers:|
Originally Posted by Supafunkadunka
Looking for feedback on mine before submission, if someone would be so kind.
CLAN DESTINY Arc ID: 349053 Level: 30+ Length: Long Keywords: [open to suggestions here] Enemies: Rikti, Freakshow, Devoured Earth, Longbow, Custom Description: Heroes are always supposed to do the right thing, but what happens when "the right thing" is a choice between two evils? When the line between what is the greater good and the necessary evil become blurred, morality is put to the ultimate test. What will you decide? |
I'll be honest, I skipped over this arc initially after seeing the rather generic title and description, and really only gave it a try seeing as how you did took the time to look at mine. The description could definitely be more specific on what the arc entails, especially when you consider almost every arc that is going to be submitted are going to have the line 'a choice between two evils' somewhere in there.
I thought you were going to pull out the Rikti Freaks for the first mission, but seeing McGrimm was certainly a funny surprise. I especially liked the part about his cybernetic skull, as it reminded me of that old 'head of Vecna' joke.
Usually when I encounter an "Aha, you've been fooled all along, hero!" moment I groan, but I think you have succeeded in avoiding that in this arc. The foreshadowing was more 'innocent' and could have been taking either way, avoiding the usual player bludgeoning. It also helped that the villain was written so dastardly well.
Was the alien generator supposed to speak? It looked like a misplaced line.
Nice use of animations where they were present, the digging DE and lotus floating EB helped to drive home the details.
The custom villain group had a definite retro vibe, though given the pics I have seen of your hero and your user handle, it looks to be a recurring motif.
There was something about the group and its leaders I found particularly distinctive in their personalities and motifs, I could definitely see them as rogues in Timm's Batman-verse.
I think you really need to drop the web-grenade from one of your minions, they're about as annoying if not more so than caltrops.
The ending was well... kind of anti-climatic. I was kind of expecting to have a showdown with the main villain after the mission where the arc actually ends, or at least recover the mcguffin. I would highly recommend looking into making the ending more 'fulfilling'.
Edit: I forgot to add, I really did not feel convinced about the group's 'insurance' against the Rikti. I don't deny that it sounds powerful, but with something like that in their hands I doubt the Rikti would let them walk away with it either.
Oh, and the titles could do with some formating, maybe in bold with a bit of highlight.
A Penny For Your Thoughts #348691 <- Dev's Choice'd by Dr. Aeon!
Submit your MA arc for review & my arcs thread
Dear Dr. Aeon,
Enclosed you will find two tickets to "The Littlest Crab Spider" at the Cap Au Diable Conservatory, as well as my latest manuscript. It's a little something I penned, full of sinister plots, Damoclean swords, betrayals and degradation, called "Evil By Inches" Arc #349967. I wonder if we could get Ally Sheedy for the lead role. I'll let your marketing boys worry about the specifics.
On a side note, I recently found myself up all night on a boozy, writer's bender, late enough to catch your animated diversion for the little children. Interesting artistic license you've taken making The Statesman so short while you yourself have been portrayed as a hulking behemoth, though I found your use of Mr. T arriving at the conclusion of each episode to deliver a nugget of wisdom particularly profound. Bully to you sir.
Yours in perpetuity,
-Oubliette
Arc Name: Evil By Inches
Arc ID: 349967
Faction: Custom
Creator Global/Forum Name: @Oubliette
Difficulty Level: Medium
Synopsis: When a sinister villain plots to infect the village of Astoria Hills and sets in motion a plot set to unravel the very the minds of Paragon City and shaking their trust to the core, proving even heroism can be turned to evil by degrees, especially when done in the name of the "greater good".
Estimated Time to Play: 60 minutes
Link to More Details or Feedback:
http://www.virtueverse.com/index.php/Astoria_Asylum
Edit: 4:00am, 3/12/09 ((currently, I'm having a major issue of all my custom critters are giving no XP. No solution as of present. Hoping to get help with it from the bug team and/or forum geniuses before the deadline. This is most inconvenient)
Edit: 3:20pm 3/12/09 ((All fixes done, with help from the tech support department. Game on!
TANGLER - Thanks for the input! Responded in my thread, so I don't continue to hijack this one.
I have to say that the arcs I've tried out for this contest have been pretty interesting. I think the challenge of putting the hero in a position of doing something they wouldn't normally do is uncomfortable to many in COH, and the authors who took on this challenge really had their work cut out for them. My own arc is lengthy because I couldn't see how a hero would act in such a way without enough reason behind it that he/she could look in the mirror the next day and still see a hero there. That, I think is the real challenge...to make a story where the hero is still able to put on the cape afterwards, despite what was done in the story.
Oh, and as far as the time travel converstation? I think the recent remake of the Time Machine (2002) is one of the best I've seen in motion pictures depicting time travel and attempting to change things. The scientist wants to know why he can't change the past, and he gets three different answers throughout the story, from three different viewpoints. I recommend this to anyone who thinks time travel is cop-out, as it is well integrated into a very good action story about why time travel is ultimately a futile goal (or is it? Recluse seems to think not, so maybe there's something to it....
)
Looking forward to running through more entries in the contest, and the best of luck to all submitting authors. May the best arc win!
Those who think Truth is relative haven't had a Tank land on their car.
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Originally Posted by Dr. Aeon
This contest is open to our American and European players, where eligible. |
Can you please tell me, why a paying customer from Australia isn't allowed to participate in this virtual competition that has no real world rewards?
How come this is limited to Americans and Europeans? Why can't aussies or other countries have a go in this competition?
I was all excited and started revamping my old arc, and then on rechecking the post for more info, found that I am not welcome to have a go. Needless to say, I'm pissed off and feeling very rejected.
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Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
I was thrilled with the Science pack cuz I finally got payback on the creepy guy that kept trying to ERP with my tween heroine, by hitting the costume change and turning into a 10' tall monstrous escaped prisoner and telling him, "You gots a real purty mouf, now bendover and squeal like a pig fo yo daddy, cuz you my little puppy now!" Haven't seen him since.
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This is done for legal reasons. There are very strict lottery and gaming laws for companies when it comes to contests, and because this is sponsored by NCSoft itself, they have to abide to avoid potential fines. Even though the reward is virtual, the penalties wouldn't be.
I'm guessing that Australia is excluded because NCSoft is set up in North America and Europe and thus able to hold contests within those jurisdictions (subject to local exclusions, like Quebec or Puetro Rico). If there were an NCSoft Australia with Australian servers, you'd be allowed. As you are on a different continent, you are kind of up a creek when it comes to contests.
I decided one of my existing arcs fits the requirements, so I entered it. In it, a Paragon City hero contact sends you and your party to break out a member of a criminal gang from jail .... all for the sake of love.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
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Sounds like a guess. I think it is closer to this: NCsoft doesn't have the lawyer time (or more specifically, the potential loss of Australians' subscriptions does not pay for it) to review legal requirements (perhaps call it 'red tape') in Australia. At least, that's how I read a reply I got from Dr. Aeon on this - I won't quote him here, as he was apologizing for my feelings, and not for his policies, so his answer may not be what you're looking for.|
Originally Posted by Supafunkadunka
I'm guessing that Australia is excluded because NCSoft is set up in North America and Europe and thus able to hold contests within those jurisdictions (subject to local exclusions, like Quebec or Puetro Rico). If there were an NCSoft Australia with Australian servers, you'd be allowed. As you are on a different continent, you are kind of up a creek when it comes to contests.
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On the other hand, player contests are already playable by players anywhere in the world. It might seem to make sense to outsource contests to players. But NCsoft doesn't assume players are not worth suing - you just hope you're not.
Example: In the oil and gas industry, drilling companies (with massive hardware assets) and consulting companies (with just people) both provide "consulting" to oil companies.
But a drilling company specifically won't certify reserves, whereas a consulting company might. Because a certified reserve has a legal definition, and is almost certainly not going to be exactly right, you might get sued in a country that doesn't play fair in local courts. At least it's theoretically possible. Consulting companies assume they won't get sued as they have no assets to seize (at least, nothing that compares to a lot of barrels of oil).
A shiny superhero title is not a billion dollars of oil, but at least one superpower has demonstrated that litigation knows no bounds. For all they know, Australia's legal system could be incredibly corrupt, and/or there may be no way to cap the potential for litigation. I don't know what it'd cost to get someone to look it up.
Arc: 379017: Outbroken See all your old friends in the Outbreak Tutorial sequel!
Arc: Coming Soon: The Incarnate Shadow Shard of Fire and Ice Mender Rednem needs you!
Massively.com opinion poll: Please Help Save CoH!
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I doubt that Australia's legal system is particularly corrupt. |
Originally Posted by airhead
A shiny superhero title is not a billion dollars of oil, but at least one superpower has demonstrated that litigation knows no bounds. For all they know, Australia's legal system could be incredibly corrupt, and/or there may be no way to cap the potential for litigation. I don't know what it'd cost to get someone to look it up.
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On the other hand, I do understand that video and computer games have been the subject of a long-running peasantish tabloid panic down there; that sort of thing is not confined to the Land of the Free. Some of their politicians routinely seek to rile the peasants with calls for game and internet censorship. Any game company might be leery of giving a political system like that an opening.
<《 New Colchis / Guides / Mission Architect 》>
"At what point do we say, 'You're mucking with our myths'?" - Harlan Ellison
See the thing is, I never expected to win.
And I think I understand why I can't have a go (due to some ******* lawyers that like being wet blankets).
It was more about 'having a go', the whole 'fairs fair' thing.
Anyhow, I got over it after my mini tantrum. And I get it. :P
The only reason I cared about this, is I wrote an arc about how much I hate a particular npc in game, with several corny punchlines, and I was actually hoping a dev would play it one day and chuckle.
I saw this competition as a chance to actually get it to happen.
I definitely never expect to win anything ever for it. I'm not a good writer, and I'm rather goofy, and my arc exemps players down to level 10 to begin with (and anyone who played it with me on a level 50 moaned about being level 10).
Anyhow, good luck to those competing.
And to the nasty lawyers out there:
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Originally Posted by Forbin_Project
I was thrilled with the Science pack cuz I finally got payback on the creepy guy that kept trying to ERP with my tween heroine, by hitting the costume change and turning into a 10' tall monstrous escaped prisoner and telling him, "You gots a real purty mouf, now bendover and squeal like a pig fo yo daddy, cuz you my little puppy now!" Haven't seen him since.
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This was really a challenge and at the same time fun. I submitted:
The Greater Good
ID: 350877
Author: @Gypsy Rose
@Gypsy Rose
In Pursuit of Liberty - 344916
The Vigilante - 395861
Suppression - 374481 - Winner of The American Legion's February 2011 AE Author Contest
I submitted mine!
For All the Wrong Reasons
Arc ID: 351572
Author: @Samuraiko
If anyone has a moment to test it, there's one mission in particular (the last one, naturally) that occasionally comes up bugged (2 times in the 20 I tested it). If you do run the arc and it comes up bugged, would you please submit a report on it, and send me a PM here on the forums?
Michelle
aka
Samuraiko/Dark_Respite
Dark_Respite's Farewell Video: "One Last Day"
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
THE COURSE OF SUPERHERO ROMANCE CONTINUES!
Book I: A Tale of Nerd Flirting! ~*~ Book II: Courtship and Crime Fighting - Chap Nine live!
MA Arcs - 3430: Hell Hath No Fury / 3515: Positron Gets Some / 6600: Dyne of the Times / 351572: For All the Wrong Reasons
378944: Too Clever by Half / 459581: Kill or Cure / 551680: Clerical Errors (NEW!)
*slides his arc into the consideration pile*
Name: Turg Fiction: IX
Arc ID: 351787
Author: @Turgenev
Posting here cuz Bubbawheat told me 'bout it. Good luck to all the submitters! If anyone would like to give it a spin, I'm hoping for solid critiques. @Turgenev if you wanna get longwinded, or PM me here.
@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE
Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
Turg Fiction: IX is now LIVE on Architect Entertainment!
(1) Send an email to AECommunityContest@ncsoft.com with the subject heading “@Global Name - Arc ID - Arc” Include the following information in English in the body of the email:
(a) The sentence: I accept the City of Heroes® Mission Architect Contest Official Terms and Conditions as displayed on the City of Heroes website.
If I am a winner, you permit NC Interactive, Inc., and NCsoft Europe Limited to use my name, likeness, photograph, hometown and any comments which I may make about myself, this contest and/or I provide for advertising and promotional activities.
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Hmmmm! Give up all that personal rights and info for a yellow title. Wow that seems fair.
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You see identity malfeasance. I see social advertising at its best. |
Originally Posted by GPBunny
Hmmmm! Give up all that personal rights and info for a yellow title. Wow that seems fair.
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I don't mind when it's selling a game I dig. Go crazy. Take my picture an' shop it over that Aion angel for April Fools.
@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE
Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
Turg Fiction: IX is now LIVE on Architect Entertainment!
Whoa, that was close. In my hurry to finish the arc I sent an email without all that extra info 2 weeks ago... Good thing someone reminded me.
Winner of Players' Choice Best Villainous Arc 2010: Fear and Loathing on Striga; ID #350522
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They need this stuff in there so they can announce the winner on the website without getting sued. I'm not "giving up all personal rights" by entering, I'm simply allowing them to say "Here's your winner, Supafunkadunka from the wilds of Canada!" and show a picture of me giving a big "/em thumbsup"!|
Originally Posted by GPBunny
Hmmmm! Give up all that personal rights and info for a yellow title. Wow that seems fair.
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This is why paranoid people never win contests
Title: Nevermore
Arc ID: #352030
Author: @Rabid Metroid
I hope I got it submitted correctly.
"I do so love taking a nice, well thought out character and putting them through hell. It's like tossing a Faberge Egg onto the stage during a Gallagher concert." - me
@Palador / @Rabid Unicorn
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Same here. I was all done and relaxed last night when it occurred to me to read the official rules post... Aeon should include those criticals in his main email, or state "for all the details on how to frame your submission, go to XYZ link" to keep panicky people like us calm. |
Originally Posted by FredrikSvanberg
Whoa, that was close. In my hurry to finish the arc I sent an email without all that extra info 2 weeks ago... Good thing someone reminded me.
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@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE
Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
Turg Fiction: IX is now LIVE on Architect Entertainment!
You know this is the first time i have even heard of this 
Enjoy your day please.
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You got 30 hours. Get crackin'. |
Originally Posted by BashfulBanshee
You know this is the first time i have even heard of this
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@TURGENEV - Freedom Server / IRON / B.A.N.E / HORDE
Turg Fiction: Ghost in the Machine Acts III & IV coming 2012!
Turg Fiction: IX is now LIVE on Architect Entertainment!
Just published the arc I'll be submitting. If anyone does play it feedback will be great, as I'll make changes based on suggestions before submitting it as it gets closer to the deadline.
A Penny For Your Thoughts
ID: 348691
The arc thread can be found here. Please do comment if you do play it.
A Penny For Your Thoughts #348691 <- Dev's Choice'd by Dr. Aeon!
Submit your MA arc for review & my arcs thread